CVE-2014-3120 — Elasticsearch Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

The default configuration in Elasticsearch before 1.2 enables dynamic scripting, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary MVEL expressions and Java code via the source parameter to _search. NOTE: this only violates the vendor's intended security policy if the user

01What is this vulnerability?

The default configuration in Elasticsearch before 1.2 enables dynamic scripting, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary MVEL expressions and Java code via the source parameter to _search. NOTE: this only violates the vendor's intended security policy if the user does not run Elasticsearch in its own independent virtual machine.

02Affected products

Vendor	Product	Versions
n	a / n/a	n/a

03Active exploitation status

Yes — actively exploited. Added to the CISA KEV catalog on 2022-03-25. Ransomware use: Unknown.

04Recommended remediation

• Patch to a fixed version listed in the vendor advisory (see references below).
• Mitigate with WAF rules, network egress filters, or feature flags where the patch is not yet available.
• Hunt historical logs for exploitation indicators — see Detection signatures below.

05Technical details

For the full vendor write-up, exploit chains, and reference implementations, see the references list in section 09.

06Detection signatures

Open the Sigma generator with a pre-filled prompt for this CVE to draft a starting detection in your stack of choice:

Open in Sigma generator →

07Related CVEs

No directly-cited follow-up CVEs in the KB record for this advisory. The references list in section 09 carries the vendor cross-references.

08Timeline

• Published: 2014-07-28T19:00:00.000Z
• Last modified: 2025-10-22T00:05:37.084Z
• Added to CISA KEV: 2022-03-25
• BOD 22-01 due: 2022-04-15

09References

• www.elastic.co — https://www.elastic.co/blog/logstash-1-4-3-released
• www.exploit-db.com — http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/33370
• www.securityfocus.com — http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/67731
• www.osvdb.org — http://www.osvdb.org/106949
• bouk.co — http://bouk.co/blog/elasticsearch-rce/
• www.rapid7.com — http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/multi/elasticsearch/script_mvel_rce
• www.found.no — https://www.found.no/foundation/elasticsearch-security/#staying-safe-while-devel…
• www.elastic.co — https://www.elastic.co/community/security/